Page 77 of Illicit Heir

Emily orders, "Jessica, go home. Do what Lauren says. Text her when ya get there. Do not leave your house. Do ya understand?"

"You know something's going on too, and you're keeping us in the dark," Jessica asserts.

I groan. "Nothing is going on. I need ya both to go home and stay there. Better yet, choose one of your places, and both of ya stay there together. I don't care whose house you're at but pick one. Do ya understand my orders?"

Jessica opens her mouth, and I glare at her in warning. She snaps it shut.

Alison puts her arm around Jessica. "Ya can come to my place. I just subscribed to that new movie channel."

She glances at her. "I'd rather go to a club."

"You're not going to a club," I insist, my voice rising.

Tense silence builds.

Alison caves. "Okay. We'll see ya later."

Relief hits me. I remind them, "Make sure you text when you get to Alison's. I want selfies throughout the night."

Jessica and Alison give me more uneasy glances but finally grab their stuff and go.

When they're gone, Emily takes me aside. "Do ya want to tell me what's going on?"

I debate but realize I have to. "Ya can't say anything to anybody."

Emily's face falls. She nods. "Ya have my word."

My stomach flips as I admit, "Devin warned me that something is happening tonight. He'll text me later and says I must go into my flat to stay safe."

Emily's eyes turn to slits. "Devin? The O'Connor?"

"Shh," I reprimand, glancing around us, but nobody's in the room.

Her voice turns stern. She asks, "Lauren, why are ya in contact with Devin?"

I realize she didn't know I have his number. I shouldn't tell her anything, but I blurt out, "He was here last night."

She gapes at me.

"Well, say something. Don't just look at me like that," I state.

Disproval fills her face. "Lauren, tell me you're not seeing him? It can't go anywhere."

"I know. Don't worry about that. I just... Look, he told me that something's going to happen tonight. It's not going to be good."

Panic overtakes her features. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

"And ya trust him that he's telling the truth?"

I hesitate but admit, "Yea, I do. And I need to make sure that ya and I are okay tonight. That's why I got the others out of here. I can't watch everybody, but you'll do what I say, right?"

She stares at me for a moment in confusion.

I beg, "Please tell me you'll go into my flat when I tell ya."

Minutes pass.

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